Stranded With the Crusaders

When Apple Bloom woke up, she had expected the warmth of her blankets to cuddle against her fur and make her reluctant to go to school, if only for a few seconds. Instead, however, what greeted her back really 'friggin' hurt.

"What in tarnation?" She first felt her hooves soak through her 'bed' in multiple, what is this, grains? They were sliding around her like some sort of thing that she and her family always played with at the beach. Sand! Meanwhile, as she was getting a feel for her 'bed', her eyes begun to react to the blaring sun above her. As she did, her breathing became more tense and quick, as though she was gulping for air, and her head frantically twitched to look at every direction around her. This wasn't right. The sky was way, way too blue.

She was late for school.

Argh! There was no way she could explain this to Cheerliee. As Apple Bloom leaped onto her fours, excuses came popping into her head. Maybe Cheerliee would buy that Granny Smith had to - hold on a second.

She had no idea where she was. In front of her was an open, dark blue, sea, which starched on way beyond which Apple Bloom could swim to. That is no a good sign, because Ponyville was nowhere near a coast.

There was really nothing left for Apple Bloom to do. She only had about two options: stay or go, and she wasn't going to be waiting around. What was the sound of sand as your hooves stomped on them, again? Because at this point, Apple Bloom was an expert on all things sand related. For example, she would tell you that a lot of dirty, gross looking things love to bury themselves in untamed, natural sand. Her neck has grown sore from looking down, and then up, and then down again, every few steps.

"Hey! Anypony there?" Apple Bloom yelled. Was it wise to yell on an island where the other ponies may or may not be very nice?

A reply ripped through the nearby trees. "Nope, nopony there."

"Oh, so its just me." Applebloom sighed in disappointment. "That's a shame -- wait a minute. You're somepony!"

"Yeah, somepony you don't know! I was told not to talk to strangers." Tomboyish, slightly aggressive yet coming off as so silly. Too bad Apple Bloom didn't know anypony like that.

"Scootaloo. I was in that darn class when Cheerliee did that lesson."

"You know my name? Were you following me? But I - no, I am definitely not talking to you." Apple Bloom wasn't sure if Scootaloo was joking or if she was always this dumb.

"Snails, is that you?" That was probably mean to Snails. He didn't deserve to be compared to this idiot.

"Apply water to burnt area." Leaves nearby rustled after that statement, and out popped an orange hoof pulling away branches, the sight of them struggling to hold leaves back before being slapped. Scootaloo never failed to make Apple Bloom smile.

They stared awkwardly at each other, contemplating the situation. "So, you pretty much woke up here just now?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Well, if I sailed here, I wouldn't look so confused now, would I?" Scootaloo said, looking momentarily at the sea.

"You didn't do nothing unusual last night, like chanting a prayer to Discord or anything?"

"Did you?" She raised her eyebrows.

"I was only joking." Apple Bloom covered her mouth as she giggled, "I know you only worship him in the morning."

After their chat, both ponies decided that, since they have nothing better to do, they might as well explore the rest of the island. As they walked, they noted how the sky was getting brighter and their surroundings. The beach was big but seemed to circle around this even bigger area of thick, dark green bushes and trees and all sorts of tropical stuff. They also thought about how they might probably find Sweetie Belle somewhere. Maybe their parents.

"Did you just prioritise Sweetie Belle over your family?" Apple Bloom teased.

"Lets not talk about my parents, okay?"

Looks like Apple Bloom wasn't the only one who missed family. She remembered how, during a school camp, she had to sleep a night in a tent all by herself. Her tent partner, Twist, seemed to miss her polka-dot blanket the most, though. It just didn't happen this quickly. They walked some more before deciding to take a rest on a nearby log, as though it's a bench.

Apple Bloom caught her breath, starched her legs and wiped her forehead. "Ah don't think I can take anymore of this walkin' around. It's way too hot," she said.

"But we need to find the others. If there even are others." Scootaloo dusted sand off her hoofs and some that have even gotten into her hair for some unexplainable reason. That was another thing sand does: it has the ability to teleport into your hair.

"If only there was some way to call out some sort of signal to the whole island. Like a... like a-"

"Telephone!" Scootaloo interrupted.

"And that's going to help us here because?"

Scootaloo looked like she just solved a riddle. "You're right. There's no reception. We need to send letters." Apple Bloom's hoof could not reach her face in time. Just as Apple Bloom released her hand from her forehead, a loud yet gentle and distant sound ripped through the sky. It sounded kind of like how whales probably sound, but softer.

After that they heard voices, and hoofsteps, like a crowd was forming.

"Scoot, I think that was our signal."

Fillies, and the occasional few colts, gathered upon the promise of the call. Muttering, confusion, anticipation was the mood this small section of the beach. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, however, found everypony in this section very familiar. That seemed to be a good thing initially, though Sweetie Belle was still either lost in the crowd or absent entirely, as Twist waved back at them. However, there was also the bad part about everypony being someone you know. Particularly, the one holding the conch that apparently made that sound.

"Stop talking! Enough with the running. Why are you trying to eat a rock? Everypony shut up." She was being drowned out by the crowd and, realising this, blew again on the conch. Quiet, and listening, just as she liked it. She used stood on a large rock in the same way someone would stand on a podium, with a filly that was unremarkable Sliver Spoon on her side. Yes, it was Diamond holding the conch, who else could it be?

"I guess everypony here is just way too dumb to shut up and listen for once, huh?" There was a grumble in the crowd at Diamond Tiara's remark. "Listen: we have no idea where we are or why we are here but the important thing here is that we are here. The last thing we need is a bunch of you, erm, penguins - its not that funny. Okay, you guys settled down again? Good.

"As you guys have clearly shown, by how lost and confused you were. I think we need a leader." As soon as Diamond finished, a lot of muttering broke out within the crowd.

"I am not saying it has to be me, of course." That sentence caught their attention, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's ones the most. She wasn't for real now, was she? This was probably some sort of trick.

"I watched this in a movie once: we'll cast a vote. The one with the most votes becomes leader." Diamond announced. "Ten seconds."

Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom. "You're the leader of the Crusaders."

Five.

"Come on, Scootaloo. I doubt anypony would any me to be their leader."

Three.

"I am voting for you and you're voting for yourself. No exceptions Apple Bloom."

One.

"Argh! Fine," Apple Bloom grumbled.

Diamond Tiara blew the conch. "All those who vote for yours truly." She noted the confused look in certain colts. "You know, me. The one standing up here? Those who want to vote for Diamond Tiara raise your hoof and say I."

Everyone's hooves remained on the ground except Sliver's, who had to adjust her glasses.

"All those who vote for Snips? For Snails? You can vote for yourself you know. Erm, Rumble?" There were a literal couple, two, hooves raised at the mention of the letter's name. Diamond Tiara slowly went through the names of all the other 'candidates.'

"Sliver Spoon for leader? Woo!" She did get the most votes: around five.

Apple Bloom noticed that her name or Scootaloo's wasn't even mentioned once. "Hey! You forgot ours!" Diamond turned to face them a look of confusion.

"I didn't."

"Then?" Scootaloo definitely wasn't happy.

"Oh, sorry I didn't make it clear. No blank flanks. Thought it would be obvious to you too."

Never had Apple Bloom wanted to see Sweetie Belle more than ever than right then, especially after Diamond Tiara had fallen from a swing of her hoof.